CHESHIRE West and Chester Council has explained why its planning committee rejected an application which now puts the University of Chester's Thornton Science Park in jeopardy.

The authority's committee refused a retrospective change of use bid by the university on Tuesday to change the use of six buildings at Thornton Science Park to accommodate their Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Planning committee members voted for the refusal by seven votes to four.

The university acquired the site from Shell in 2014, which included the use of those buildings referenced in the planning application. The matter of use of the buildings came to the attention of the planning department in 2016 and officers have been liaising with the university since that time to establish the facts and to explore avenues for resolution.

These discussions culminated in the university submitting a planning application last December.

In a statement, the council said: "The Thornton Science Park is located wholly within the inner consultation zone of the Stanlow Oil Refinery. Within such areas, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a statutory consultee in the planning process.

"The HSE considered the application using its standard methodology for assessing risk. The outcome of HSE's assessment was that the risk for an educational establishment within the inner zone was an unacceptably high risk.

"As such, the HSE advised the council against granting planning permission.

"Members of planning committee considered the matter in considerable detail, weighing up the economic benefits delivered by the university faculty wholly being on this site alongside the advice from the HSE of the risk to students.

"National planning guidance makes it clear that advice from the HSE on planning applications must be treated with the upmost seriousness."

Planning committee chairman Cllr Gill Watson added: "The application was refused on the basis that the site's location, adjacent to the Essar Oil Refinery, lies in close proximity to hazardous installations and therefore poses an unacceptable risk for an education use on the site.

"This was a difficult decision, however, the health and safety of our residents is our first priority, so after careful consideration and having sought guidance from the Health and Safety Executive on this matter, we have taken the decision not to approve this application."

The university has a right to appeal against the refusal to the Secretary of State.

Speaking after the planning committee's decision was made, the university's vice chancellor Professor Tim Wheeler said he was "surprised and disappointed" at the decision and said the university would be considering an appeal.